Sex Like a "Bro?"

Barney Stinson is the epitome of the idea of “having sex like a man.” He spends all of his free time getting the numbers of girls that he picks up anywhere and everywhere. In fact, he keeps a running list of all the girls he has ever slept with and brags at the diversity of his list. Barney turned sex into a game and this is seen all the more so when he talks about his playbook, “The Bro Code.”  

In “Sex and the City” the four main women are defying the meaning of the phrase “having sex like a man.” “How I Met Your Mother” takes a different approach by negating the appropriateness of this behavior. Barney Stinson is a sex addict but his friends do not completely condone his actions. As Barney explains some of his plays from his playbook Lilly looks disgusted and even calls them his “cheap tricks.” Barney’s friends do not stop him from having sex all the time but they do not hold back when it comes to their opinions of his actions. Often times they will mock him but they never truly root for his addiction to one-night stands.

What is most fascinating is that similar to “Sex and the City,” the character that is all about having sex does end up getting married. Although it does not last, Barney and Robyn are wed for three years until deciding that divorce is their best option. It is interesting that while media will create these sex obsessed characters and construct no lines that a character will not cross, there is almost always this inevitable piece of people that is shown. Barney may be a shallow sex addict in most of the series but even he realizes at some point that knowing there is someone to come home to is nice. Whether he likes it or not he does mature throughout the series. Looking at the Hollywood world, one can say the same lesson is learned. No one ever thought George Clooney would date a girl for longer than two years and now he is happily married to Amal.

Additionally, because Barney’s sex addict actions are always mimicked and teased, there is a level of edutainment in the series. Viewers are able to learn that what Barney is doing should not be the norm and is looked down upon. It is not obvious on the surface level but viewers are learning that Barney's behavior is not celebrated and therefore is a dramatization of how people should not act. In fact, Lilly and Marshall are often told how lucky they are to have their strong relationship and that is where the positive light is shown. Overall, this series is a great form of entertainment and edutainment. 

References-

Markle, G. (2008). “Can women have sex like a man?”: Sexual scripts in "Sex and the City". Sexuality & Culture, 12(1), 45-57. doi: 10.1007/s12119-007-9019-1

Ward, L. M. (2003). Understanding the role of entertainment media in the sexual socialization of American youth: A review of empirical research. Developmental Review, 23(3), 347-388. doi: 10.1016/s0273-2297(03)00013-3